| James Sunderland | |
|---|---|
| Silent Hill character | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Jamessunderland.jpg) James Sunderland as he appears in Silent Hill 2 (2001) | |
| First appearance | Silent Hill 2 (2001) |
| Last appearance | Silent Hill 2 (2024) |
| Portrayed by |
|
| Voiced by |
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| Motion capture | Guy Cihi (Silent Hill 2) |
| In-universe information | |
| Spouse | Mary Shepherd-Sunderland |
| Nationality | American |
James Sunderland is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 2001 survival horror video game Silent Hill 2 and its 2024 remake, produced as part of the Silent Hill series under Konami. In the games' events, he arrives to Silent Hill under the apparent request of his deceased wife Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, where he encountered monsters such as Pyramid Head and a few other human characters. He also makes cameo appearances in joke endings of several other video games such as Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.
In the 2001 game, he was performed by Guy Cihi in both voice acting and motion capture. James was also voiced by Troy Baker in one rerecorded version of the game in Silent Hill HD Collection, although the original recordings featuring Guy Cihi are also available. In the 2024 remake, he is voiced by Luke Roberts and Chikahiro Kobayashi in the English and Japanese versions, respectively.
James Sunderland has received positive reviews from critics, who argued that the game took advantage of framing a seemingly ordinary individual as harboring dark secrets influencing the game's events. Several of them have also praised how the game offers multiple endings about James based on his mental state being influenced by the player's choices and compared his psychological state to several mental illnesses such as obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).